talesofthekinfandomcom-20200213-history
Order of the Degans
The Order of the Degans is an ancient organization of swordsmen and swordswomen who primarily sell their combat prowess for money. Degans are described as possibly the finest sword fighters in the Empire, even able to hold their own against Imperial White Sashes. Very little about the organization is explained in the first book, owing to the Order's secretive nature about itself. Members themselves assume names of past legendary members, which consist of the names of metal or other materials followed by the word "Degan." For example, Bronze Degan or Iron Degan. It appears they give up any name they might have had before even in personal company; Bronze Degan was never called anything other than "Degan" by Drothe despite being very close friends for years. Members all possess a sword of their own preferred style that has the metal of their name worked into the guard. Originally and unknown to outsiders, the order was formed to defend and preserve the Empire, though there is considerable debate among the degans what this truly means. For example,if this refers to protecting the empire as an nation or the emperor himself. The Oath Besides being hired as bodyguards or enforcers, degans have a tradition known as "The Oath." It is a sacred vow taken with an outsider wherein the degan promises to fulfill a stated request, which he or she will pursue at nearly all costs. In exchange, the outsider agrees to a single favor for that degan at a future time. The degan need not decide what the favor will be at the time of the Oath, but can choose later and call it in at any time. The favor can be almost anything, even requiring the outsider to do something against his or her own family or allies. Refusal to fulfill the favor results in the person being hunted down by all members of the Order and killed. If the degan that took the Oath dies, the favor is up for grabs among the other degans. Degans are prohibited from directly opposing each other or impeding the fulfillment of an Oath, even in fulfilling their own Oath, though Bronze and Iron confirmed that it was permitted in the past. A degan knowingly taking an Oath directly in opposition to another degan is considered a severe offense, such that the other members of the Order will hunt them down and kill them. Origins of the Order The major details of the Order's founding are not revealed until late into the events of Sworn in Steel. The Order of the Degans was founded two hundred years before the events of the books by a man who took the name Ivory Degan. It is not known what his original name was, but he was an Imperial Paragon who did so at the request of Emperor Lucien. The original members of the order were selected from among the Imperial White Sashes, who themselves were created shortly before as part of Lucien's plan to create an elite force of warriors. Unlike the White Sashes, the degans were mean to exist apart from the Imperial court so that they could remain a secret until needed to defend the empire. While it is commonly believed by members of the public that the degans simply recruit successors when one dies and pass the name on, this is a lie spread by them to conceal the truth: They are all the original members and simply are still alive. During their founding, the paragon that became Ivory Degan performed a ritual that bound their souls to their swords, granting them all a limited form of immortality. This ritual stopped them from aging and appears to have other effects, though they can still be killed through violence like any other person. Several degans display impressive physical resilience and it is stated that "degans are hard to kill" but it is not clear if this is supernatural or simply a function of their centuries of training and combat prowess. It is also not known if they can die from natural diseases. The presence of their souls within their swords gives the Oath a magical quality to it, in that the sword "records" any Oath sworn on it and to whom. Other degans can mentally read this information from a sword by touching the blade. Invoking the Oath sworn on a sword with the proper words appears to be able to compel the indebted subject to action, such as when Steel attempted to use Bronze's Oath sworn on Ivory's sword to make him surrender, or when Drothe was called on using his Oath sworn to Bronze when asked testify as to what he witnessed (it is implied he was unable to lie during this testimony). Known degans * Bronze Degan - Swept-hilt rapier * Iron Degan (aka Ironius) - Curved cut-and-thrust sword * Steel Degan (aka Wolf) - Shamshir * Ivory Degan (aka Heronestes Karkappadolis aka "Heron") - Longsword * Stone Degan - Greatsword * Silver Degan - Horseman's saber * Brass Degan - Cinquedea * Copper Degan * Gold Degan * Crystal Degan * Opal Degan * Jade Degan